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DeKalb County, Illinois
DeKalb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. In 2000, the population was 88,969. As of 2007, the population is estimated at 103,729. Its county seat is Sycamore, Illinois. DeKalb County is part of the Chicago metropolitan statistical area. History DeKalb County was formed in 1837 out of Kane County, Illinois. The County was named in honor of Johann de Kalb, a German (Bavarian) hero of the American Revolutionary War. Kalb was with Gen. Washington at Valley Forge. He was killed at the Battle of Camden. Pronunciation Unlike similarly spelled locations, such as DeKalb County, Georgia, DeKalb denizens from Illinois pronounce the county name "di-KALB", with an L sound, as opposed to a silent "L." Geography According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of , of which (or 99.87%) is land and (or 0.13%) is water. Adjacent counties *Boone County - north *McHenry County - northeast *Kane County - east *Kendall County - southeast *LaSalle County - south *Lee County - west *Ogle County - west *Winnebago County - northwest Major highways * Interstate 88 * US Route 30 * US Route 34 * Illinois Route 23 * Illinois Route 38 * Illinois Route 64 * Illinois Route 72 Townships DeKalb County is divided into nineteen townships: Cities and towns *Cortland *DeKalb *Genoa *Hinckley *Kingston *Kirkland *Lee *Malta *Maple Park - Mostly in Kane County, Illinois *Sandwich (north three-quarters) *Shabbona *Somonauk (north three-quarters) *Sycamore *Waterman Political districts * Illinois' 14th congressional district * State House District 69 * State House District 70 * State Senate District 35 Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 88,969 people, 31,674 households, and 19,954 families residing in the county. The population density was 140 people per square mile (54/km²). There were 32,988 housing units at an average density of 52 per square mile (20/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 88.46% White, 4.59% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 2.35% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 2.74% from other races, and 1.57% from two or more races. 6.55% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 25.6% were of German, 10.8% Irish, 7.2% English, 5.9% American and 5.0% Norwegian ancestry according to Census 2000. 90.8% spoke English and 5.7% Spanish as their first language. There were 31,674 households out of which 32.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.90% were married couples living together, 8.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.00% were non-families. 25.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.11. In the county the population was spread out with 23.10% under the age of 18, 22.00% from 18 to 24, 27.60% from 25 to 44, 17.40% from 45 to 64, and 9.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 98.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.50 males. The median income for a household in the county was $45,828, and the median income for a family was $58,194. Males had a median income of $41,111 versus $26,690 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,462. About 5.10% of families and 11.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.10% of those under age 18 and 4.50% of those age 65 or over. Climate and weather }} In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Sycamore have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of was recorded in August 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in June. See also *National Register of Historic Places listings in DeKalb County, Illinois References * * United States Census Bureau 2007 TIGER/Line Shapefiles * United States Board on Geographic Names (GNIS) * United States National Atlas Further reading * Eric W. Mogren. Native Soil: A History of the DeKalb County Farm Bureau (DeKalb: Northern Illinois University Press, 2005), 288 pp. External links *History pages for DeKalb County towns and cities * *DeKalb County Youth Service Bureau *Taming the Wild Prairie: A History of DeKalb County, Illinois, 1837-1900, Illinois Historical Digitization Projects at Northern Illinois University Libraries *DeKalb County Online Newspaper Category:Counties of Illinois Category:DeKalb County, Illinois Category:Established in 1836 Category:Chicago metropolitan area